Neck-yoke center.



HENRY M. F. LEIGHTY, OF DAWSON, IOWA.

NECK-YOKE CENTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 27', 1909.

Application filed May ll, 1908, Serial No. 432,191. Renewed May 20, 1909. Serial No. 497,327.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY M. F. LEIGHTY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dawson, in the county of Dallas and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Neck- Yoke Center, of which the following is a specification.

T is object of my invention is to provide a neck yoke center of simple, durable, and inexpensive construction, so arranged that a vehicle pole is firmly held against longitudinal movement relative to the neck yoke so long as the neck yoke is in position at right angles relative to the vehicle pole, or at any position of its swinging movement relative to the pole where it may be moved when draft animals are connected to it, and, further, to provide a device of this kind by which the neck yoke may be readily and easily detached from the pole by swinging the neck yoke to an angle of about forty-five degrees relative to the pole.

A further object is to provide a neck yoke center that is firmly braced and supported against all of the strains liable to be thrown upon it.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a top or plan view of the forward end of a vehicle pole, andthe central portion of a neck yoke with my improved neck yoke center connected therewith, the neck yoke being at suchan angle relative to the pole that it may be detached. Fig. 2 shows a front end elevation of the same with the neck yoke center at the same angle relative to the pole, and Fig. 3 shows a central longitudinal sectional view of the forward end of a vehicle pole, and a neck yoke having my improved neck yoke center connected therewith, the neck yoke being at right angles to the vehicle pole and being firmly locked or secured thereon.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate the neck yoke which may be of any of the ordinary sizes and shapes and of any desirable material. Fixed to the forward central portion of same is a plate 1 1, having projected forwardly therefrom a bracket 12.

Fixed to the same ilatc isa metalguardloop 13 substantially 0 long in sham and extended downwardly and forwarifly from the plate 11. At the lower central portion of the guard loop 13 is an arm 14 formed integrally with the loop and extended roarwart'lly, then downwardly at 15, then rearwardly at 16, and then rearwardly and upwardly at 17. Pivotally supported between the bracket 12 and the arm 14 is a sleeve 18 of a size and shape to receive the forward end of a vehicle pole. This sleeve is supported upon the pivots 19 and 20 which permit the sleeve to swing in a horizontal plane. The vehicle pole is of the ordinary construction and is indicated by the numeral 21, and is provided on its forward end with a metal socket 22 having formed thereon a rib 23 extending downwardly and forwardly.

The parts before described are so shaped and proportioned relative to each other that when the sleeve 18 is at right angles to the neck yoke, the sleeve cannot be moved rearwardly to its proper position over the pole because the rib 23 would strike upon the upwardly projecting portion 17 of the arm 14, however, if the sleeve is turned to position at an angle of substantially forty-five degrees relative to the neck yoke, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, then the sleeve 18 may be moved rearwardly over the end of the vehicle ole until the rib 23 is in position in front of tlie part 17, whereupon the neck yoke may be moved to position at right angles to the vehicle pole and the said rib 23 will then be retained in position between the part 17 and the sleeve 18. When in this position, the neck yoke may freely swing from side to side, as far as is ordinarily required in general use, without having the rib 23 ever rcachany position where the sleeve 18 could slide over the forward end of the pole, hence, the neck yoke is firmly secured to the pole, and cannot be removed from the pole except when the neck yoke is moved to a certain pro-determined angle relative to the pole, which angle could not be reached in the course of ordinary use, however, when it is desired to detach the neck yoke, the operator can easily and quickly move the neck yoke to the desired angle and then move it forwardly over the end of the pole. Obviously, this may be done without the operators grasping or moving any spring actuated catch device, such as have frequently been employed in devices of this kind. Furthermore, the device is of very strong and durable construction and has no spring actuated latch devices of any kind that are liable to be broken or to get out of order.

I claim as my invention.

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a neck yoke, a sleeve below the neck yoke being pivotally connected to it to swing laterally, and being designed to re ceive a vehicle p ole, an arm below the sleeve extending rearwardly and upwardly therefrom, said arm being in a f'nzed position with reference to the neck yoke, the arrangement of parts being such that when the sleeve is moved to its lateral limit, a vehicle pole in the sleeve Will be thereby freed from engagement with the arm, and may be readily removed from the sleeve.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a neck yel -2e, a substantially oblong loop fixed to the neck yoke and extended downwardly and forwardly therefrom, a bracket fixed to the neck yoke and extended forwardly, a sleeve pivotally supported between the bracket and the central portion of said loop, and an arm f xed to the lower end of the loop, extended rearwardly therefrom and then upwardly in the rear of the sleeve for the purposes stated.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a neck yoke, a vehicle pole having a rib near its forward end extended downwardly and forwardly, a sleeve pivotally connected to the central portion of the neck yoke and extended below it, said sleeve being capable of swinging in a horizontal plane, and also being capable of receiving the forward end of the vehicle pole, and an arm fixed in position below the sleeve and extended rearwardly-and then upwardly in the rear of the sleeve, said parts being so proportioned that when the sleeve is extended at an angle of about forty-live degrees relative to the neck yoke, the pole may be inserted in the sleeve and the rib on the pole extended to the point in front of the rear end of said arm, so that when the neck yoke is moved to position at about right angles to the pole, the said rib Will be positioned between the said arm and the rear end of the sleeve.

Des Moines, Iowa, April 16, 1908.

HENRY M. F. LEIGHTY.

Witnesses: V

J. R. SUMMERSON, L. S. LIVINGSTON. 

